Understandings
by The Ice Within
Summary: There are more understandings between us. I'm sorry. I'm grateful.


**AN- I've always liked Snape a lot; even before I knew that he'd turn nice, don't know why. So this is a fic to give him some dignity that I feel he should get… let's get on with it then.**

_Severus Snape_

I knew I was dying. It's not that hard to tell when the only other person in the room is pointing his wand at you, and the curse flies out, straight at your chest. I collapse onto the floor, knowing that I still had just enough time left to do what I had to do before my life ends forever. I reached into my robe and took out the jar of memories I had 'collected' together for him, for the child I had hate so much, for the child I had learnt to care about. I knew he was there, waiting, watching, and taking it all in his jumbled up brain, I felt the air move as he kneeled down next to me, under his Invisibility Cloak. His eyes met mine, and the understanding that had never been present was present now, the little gratitude that I shouldn't have gotten from him was also there, in his blue eyes, Lily's eyes.

I inhaled sharply, knowing that there was one more thing I needed to do. I closed my eyes, thinking about her. I wanted to take with me all the memories I had about her, with her. With my one and only love, Lily.

She was angry. I made her angry. I called her a witch, and I could tell she wasn't happy about it. I was so frustrated, she needed to know, she'll understand sooner or later anyways, so why not sooner?

She glared at me before turning away to follow her sister, the sister I just hated so much. It's a miracle how different they could be- her sister and her.

But her glare actually made me happy. Because she had glared at me with her eyes, the feelings were true. Her eyes- her electric blue eyes- was so beautiful, so attractive. It was then that I noticed that I had fell in love with her eyes, and it was the first time I felt that I wanted to be with her, and I wanted her to be mine.

I opened my eyes a fraction, blinded by the dim glow inside the 'hollow', I stared at his eyes, Lily's eyes, and smiled. It was enough; I'll take her eyes with me to Heaven. If I couldn't be with her, not even in Heaven, then I'll think about her eyes, the eyes that had cared, loved and then hated me. The eyes that made me protect his son, the eyes that made me stop when I was to kill him. The eyes that made me swore to keep that boy I hated so much, safe.

Lily, I'm sorry. I was a coward, unable to get the courage to tell you how much I cared, how much I loved you. Lily, I'm sorry, I wasn't good enough for you, and I knew that I wasn't the one to be with you forever. Lily, I'm sorry, I knew that James and the others were much better for you. Lily, I'm sorry, I knew that the friends I made never made you comfortable, and that my goal to be a Death Eater never appealed to you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Lily, my one and only love.

_Harry Potter_

I walked towards Hogwarts to visit my friends that were now professors in the school I loved. My kids now enrolled in the school, as did Hermione and Ron's children. I, now an Auror, rarely have the time to go around Hogwarts and stroll around. After becoming the Head of the Auror Department, I have less and less time to stop by and teach a few lessons of the Defense of Dark Arts, a subject that I had learnt to love and I used to teach a few lessons each month, but now I have been to busy.

Today, I have finally found the time to come by and teach another lesson. I was so happy that I decided to come by a few hours early and take some time to talk to the Portrait of Albus Dumbledore; the Headmaster that one of my son has been named after. Something caught my eye, a surface that reflected upon the eye, and a glint that disappeared as fast as I noticed it. I walked towards the forest and stopped, dead in my tracks. Rows after rows of tombs lined the floor, every single friend or professor that had sacrificed their lives during the last battle, for me.

I felt a surge of guilt wash over me. They had died for me, for a mere Hogwarts student, just because he was the Boy Who Lived, what nonsense. I walked numbly towards the end of the row, where Professor Dumbledore's tomb lay, apart from the others as he had died before all of them, 'killed' by Professor Snape. The word _Snape _no longer sounded rusty in my mouth, it came out casual, just like all other words I spoke. The word no longer triggered hatred and sad memories; in fact, they gave me thoughts that were happy, because he had protected me till the end, despite the hatred.

I could see that his tomb was touched and visited by many people, and I felt proud- proud for him, and proud of myself for being his favorite student, I was happy for him. Oh, how I wished he could see me, see how I now am, an Auror, I was sure he would be proud. I kneeled down and wiped the thin layer of dust off the tomb of Professor Dumbledore, the words engraved on the tomb were now clear: _Killed by the traitor; the best headmaster of all times. _

I felt a sudden wave of anger. _Traitor? _Who was the traitor? Professor Snape was no traitor; he had only fulfilled the Headmaster's last wish, a command.

I spun around, trying to locate Professor Snape's tomb, though I wasn't so sure I would find it. But I did, at the far corner of the graveyard, untouched and dusty. I wiped the thick layer of grim off the tomb gently, cleaning the place around the tomb, paying him respect.

"Professor Snape, I am Harry Potter." I cleared his throat, I realized that it was pure coincidence that I had came across his grave, I didn't know what to say, "I… I just wanted to tell you that all is well out here- at Hogwarts, everywhere. There is a new Headmaster at the school, and I come by occasionally to teach a few lessons of Defense of Dark Arts." I shrugged my shoulders to shake off the tension.

"I want to thank you. For making my mother happy for as long as you could. And for protecting me though I knew you hated me. I want to apologize for everything bad I had done to you. And I wish that people would honor you, I'll try to spread the word. I… thank you. And I guess that's it. I'll come by next time."

I didn't know why, but a lone tear trickled down my cheek before I could wipe it away. It landed on the middle of the tomb, and I saw that there were no words engraved upon the dull tomb. I took out my keys and unlatched the knife that I kept to peel some fruits when Ginny and I went out for a picnic before the kids came home from Hogwarts every year.

I started craving on the hard and cold stone, the coldness seeped through my very bones, chilling me. But as I finished the cravings, the stone seemed to grow warmer, and the atmosphere around it seems to become friendlier, filled with more understanding.

_Severus Snape_

_The greatest man I have known_

_Courageous and heroic_

_Died in honor_

_Rest in peace_

The very wind seemed to whisper in my ears, "Thank you, Potter, Harry Potter, thank you."

His words were kinder and gentler, and he had called me Harry Potter. He called me by my first name; there were no more hatred. And I was sure, after a few more visits, there would be more understanding between us, than any teacher and student.


End file.
